


Return to Earth

by TheGreatElisaMousy



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-28 14:16:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5093789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatElisaMousy/pseuds/TheGreatElisaMousy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the revival of Cybertron, it appears that Decepticons have returned to Earth. Ultra Magnus, the new leader of the Autobots, deems to send some Bots to Earth, some familiar with it, some not. Knockout, due to his knowledge of Earth culture and Decepticon tactics, is among them. Each Autobot is supposed to guard one of their human friends. This leaves Knockout with June, but during this trip, he's about to learn exactly what he missed by not becoming an Autobot sooner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is my firs AO3 posting, so if I set something up wrong, I'm sorry. It's a lot different than ff, so I'm working it out as I go along. Also, please keep in mind that I have not actually seen Predacons Rising, so I'm working with what I know from the movie. Alright? Okay.

Knockout tapped his finger on the table in front of him, bored out of his mind. Ever since Optimus had sacrificed himself to reignite the AllSpark, Autobots from around the galaxies began to return. There were no signs of the remaining Decpeticons though, not that Knockout really cared. There was only one Con he ever considered a friend, but said Con was a casualty of war from back when they were on Earth.

"Knockout, are you listening?" a sharp voice said, snapping him out of his thoughts. In front of him stood Ultra Magnus, now the acting leader of the Autobots, as he had been Optimus's second-in-command. His third- and fourth-in-commands, Prowl and Jazz, had yet to make their way home, so all of the leadership duties fell to Magnus. And at the top of that list, it seemed, was making sure the ex-Con stayed on the level.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something?" the Aston Martin asked with a cocky grin. He knew he shouldn't bait the Bot like this, but it was far too tempting. Magnus made it too easy.

" I _said_ , now that Ratchet has stationed himself on Earth, you are our only medic, so when the Autobots return, you must immediately tend to their wounds without question," the Autobot ordered.

"Technically, I _have_ to ask questions, such as 'what happened', 'where does it hurt', and 'do you have any feeling in this area'," Knockout informed him dryly. "Despite having been a Decepticon, I do know how to administer medical treatment." He rolled his optics. "Are we done, _sir_?"

Magnus regarded him carefully before deciding that he would rather pass off the arrogant Bot to someone else. He had a lot of work to do, and babysitting Knockout was not high one his priority list. "Dismissed."

Knockout smirked as he pushed away from the desk he was at, just as glad to be done with Ultra Magnus as the older Bot was with him. He just needed to find another Autobot willing to put up with him for the moment. One of the rules regarding his defect had been that he had to be supervised at all times with the exceptions of stasis, waste relief, and time in the wash racks, though he did always drag someone into his quarters to buff the spots he couldn't reach.

He knew he had to avoid Bulkhead. While the ex-Wrecker still distrusted him, Bulkhead liked to talk about Breakdown. Apparently, he wanted to share stories of some of their great brawls, and Knockout believed he was expected to return with stories of his own. Didn't that lumbering truck understand that Breakdown's loss was a hard blow to him? It had been a little under a solar cycle by now, but the wound still felt fresh.

That gave him a thought. Arcee. While the two weren't even close to being friends, they had slowly developed a camaraderie, knowing that their partners were both offlined by the same Con: Airachnid. She understood what it felt like to lose a best friend, and though she had suffered more than he had in losing her possible future-mate, Cliffjumper, she knew the pain Knockout was feeling and couldn't help but sympathize.

"Knockout," she commented when he found her, looking up from something Blurr, and intelligence Bot, brought her. Blurr, himself, looked up, almost stunned to see the medic. Knockout rolled his optics once again as he crossed his arms.

"Oh, please, Blurr, it's thanks to me you can even stand, much less run like you love doing oh so much," he pointed out, reminding the blue Bot of when he had returned to Cybertron in a heavily damaged ship. He'd already been in bad condition when the Decepticons halted their attack to return to Megatron's side, but on his way back, he hit a heavy asteroid belt, crushing parts of his ship. His pedes had been almost severed, but Knockout had been able to tend to him in time. Glancing at the large pad Blurr had handed Arcee, he added, "What's that?"

"It's a report... on Earth," the motorcycle said, still reading through the information.

"WhenUltraMagnusinformedmethatyouhadtakenrefugeonEarthIdecidedtotakealookformyself. IhadtoknowiftheDecepticonswerereallygoneandIhavereasontobelievethattheyarenot." He pointed to a spot on the pad. "MysteriousmotorandareialaccidentsarepilingupandyourfriendFowlerbelieveshesawtheDecepticonsymbolonalawenforcementvehicle. IbelievethismaybeBarricadethoughtI'mnotquitesureifhe'saloneorworkingwithothers."

Knockout blinked, processing the sheer amount and speed of words that had flown out of Blurr's mouth. Once he was able to decipher the words, he said, "You were on Earth?"

"Did you make contact with Ratchet?" Arcee asked, earning a shake of Blurr's head.

"No. Ifigureditwouldbebesttokeepmypresencehiddenfornowincaseitwasnothing. Ididn'twanttoworryanyone. IhackedintoAgentFowler'sfilesandthat'swhereIlearnedoftheDecepticoninsignia'spresence. Idon'tknowifthisisenoughtogoontobringtoUltranMagnusornot. HehasalotonhisplatewhatwithwhathappenedtoOptimusPrime."

"I say we send a reconnaissance team to take a look, _and_ let Ratchet know so he can keep an eye out," Arcee suggested. "And we should bring Bots already familiar with Earth," she continued, looking Knockout's way.

"Me?" he asked. "I doubt Ultra Magnus would go for it."

"You _do_ have a lot of information on human culture," the bike pointed out. He had no retaliatory remark. "I know Bulkhead, Bumblebee and I should go back. If we send you, we should probably bring Ratchet back in order to take your place as medic." She sighed. "I'll go talk to Ultra Magnus. Knockout, find the others and let them know that we might be going on a space bridge trip."

"Alright," the red Con-turned-Bot replied, spinning on his wheels and heading for where he figured Bumblebee would be: racing with Smokescreen.

As it turned out, Smokescreen was nowhere to be seen, but Bumblebee was driving laps around their makeshift track, anyway. "Hey, Bumblebee!" he called to get the other car's attention.

Bumblebee drove over and transformed. "What is it, Knockout?" he asked.

"Arcee sent me to let you know we might be taking a little trip," the Aston Martin reported. "To Earth."

"Really?" Bumblebee asked, his optics shining slightly with excitement.

"Yep," Knockout replied, popping the 'p'. "You see, Blurr took a little secret trip to Earth and thinks there might be Decepticons there."

"No way," Bumblebee argued, hoping it wasn't true. The Cons knew what their human friends looked like, thanks to Soundwave, and now their only protection was Ratchet. The ambulance was far from incompetent, but he couldn't take care of all three children at once!

"Yes, way. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find Bulkhead." He grimaced. This didn't go unnoticed by Bumblebee.

Bumblebee knew how hard Knockout was taking Breakdown's death, even now, and he knew that Bulkhead was unintentionally driving his thumb through the wound. "I can go let him know, if you want," he offered. He didn't like Knockout. Far from it, but he also felt bad for him. He knew that if Raf died, and someone kept going on about him, he might not want to hang around, either.

"Really?" the medic asked, confused, earning a nod from the black and yellow car. "Thank you, Bumblebee."

"No problem, Doc Knock," he replied with a smirk before leaving, causing Knockout to grimace at the nickname the human girl Miko had given him back on Earth. Unfortunately, it had stuck.

-

"I agree with Arcee that it would be prudent to send some of our forces back to Earth to monitor any Decepticon activitiy," Ultra Magnus said, addressing the Autobots. "Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee will be returning, and Knockout, Jazz, and Prowl will go with them. In return, Ratchet should be returning to us for the time being."

Knockout glanced over at Prowl and Jazz who had both arrived less than an orn before. They had been quickly briefed of the situation and were deemed the best to act in Ultra Magnus's stead.

Despite the visors both Bots wore, Knockout could swear that they were both glaring at him. He looked back to the space bridge in front of him, waiting for it to turn on.

Once it did, each Autobot transformed, speeding through the swirling vortex.

"Are you sure sending Knockout was a good idea?" Wheeljack asked.

"He knows the Decepticons better than anyone," Ultra Magnus replied. "If they truly have returned to Earth, he may play an important role in their journey to victory."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here's the next chapter, up and running for you guys. (Sorry if a bunch of notes in the beginning and end of a chapter isn't very common. Again, I'm from ff, so that's what I'm used to)

When they arrived through the ground bridge and transformed, the group of Autobots found themselves in the Autobot base. Apparently, since it was preferred, the old silo that had initially be destroyed was now repaired, and Blurr had given Ultra Magnus the coordinates.

"Bulkhead, Arcee, Bumblebee!" Ratchet exclaimed in surprise as they came out. Then he noticed Prowl and Jazz. "Good to see you two again." Both nodded in response, Prowl with a stoic expression, Jazz with a grin. Finally, the ambulance locked eyes with Knockout. "Knockout," he greeted stiffly.

"Ratchet," the Aston Martin replied.

"What are you all doing here?" Ratchet asked.

"Blurr decided to pay a visit to Earth when he heard that Decepticons used to be here," Arcee explained. "With a bunch of accidents happening lately, he checked it out and told us Fowler thought he saw the Decepticon insignia."

"Yes, there were quite a few problems, and I did have my suspicions," Ratchet agreed. "I suppose you're here to investigate?" The motorcycle nodded. "The kids will be happy." He looked back at Knockout. "And what is he doing here? Shouldn't he be back on Cybertron, tending to the wounded?"

"We're switching out," the ex-Decepticon replied. "Ultra Magnus's orders."

When Ratchet looked like he was about to argue, Jazz stepped in. "Now, Ah don't know much about him, but Magnus said that since he used ta be a Con, he know a lot about 'em. It makes sense ta bring him here, but Cyberton still needs a medic. So..." He gestured to the space bridge, still open behind him.

"We'll be sure to tell the kids you said goodbye," Bumblebee assured.

"Ultra Magnus is probably waiting for you," Bulkhead pointed out. "It was nice to see you, Ratchet."

"And you, as well," the medic replied. He looked at Knockout. "My notes, should you need them, are on those computers, pass code 7-6-4-5-2-8."

"Understood," the ex-Con replied. He knew that Ratchet had been working on learning more about human medicinal practices in case something happened to one of their human allies, so naturally, Knockout would be expected to continue with those duties.

"Hopefully, I'll see you all again soon," Ratchet said with a nod before leaving.

"Now what?" Jazz asked.

Arcee smiled before transforming into her alt mode. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to be paying someone a little visit."

-

Jack Darby sighed as he left the building, ready to go home from his irritating job. He frowned when he saw the bicycle waiting for him. It had been what he'd used in the past, but after Arcee, it just felt wrong. He was so used to feeling the gentle rumble of an engine and a familiar voice speaking with him, cracking the occasional joke.

But Arcee had left for Cybertron almost two months ago, and he doubted he'd ever see her again. She, along with all the others, promised that they'd visit as soon as they could, but rebuilding across an entire planet could take a very long time. And while it may not seem nearly as long to them, Jack, Miko and Raf could all be long dead by the time they got back to Earth.

He was shocked, however, to see a blue motorcycle with pink detailing waiting for him in the driveway.

"Hey, Jack. Long time no see."

"Arcee!" the teen yelled, jumping off his bike and throwing it to the side. He threw his arms around his best friend. "I thought you were on Cybertron."

"I was," Arcee replied. "But one of our intelligence agents found out something a little concerning about what's happening on Earth."

"The accidents?" Jack asked. "Fowler was talking about those the other day. He thinks there was—"

"Decepticon activity," the Autobot replied. "I know. That's why we're here."

"We? The others are here?"

"Some," Arcee said after a moment's pause. "Ultra Magnus, Smokescreen and Wheeljack stayed on Cybertron. I'm here with Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Knockout, and two Bots you don't know, Prowl and Jazz."

"What about Optimus?" Jack asked, noticing her omission of the Autobot leader.

"He... is one with the Allspark now."

-

Miko practically threw herself out the door. Due to her current status as a consultant for Unit E, she was staying in America longer than just her year-long exchange. This meant, of course, that she continued to get in trouble with her school here in Jasper. She had just gotten out of an _extended_ detention.

She was about to start her walk home when she saw it in the parking lot. An army green SUV.

"Bulkhead!" she yelled, running toward it, diving in once the door was open. Her eyes were overflowing with tears, but she didn't care. She had her best friend back.

"Hey, Miko," Bulkhead replied, a smile in his voice. "There's a rumor about some Con activity, so we might be here awhile." He blared one of their favorite songs through his speakers.

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Bulk."

-

Raf was sitting under the tree in his yard, typing away at his laptop when he heard a car horn beep. It sounded familiar, but it couldn't be...

Looking up, he saw it was. The black and yellow car popped its door open. "You coming?"

"Bee!" Raf yelled, closing his laptop and running over. "I don't believe it! What are you doing back here?"

"One of our agents, Blurr, thought there might be some Cons here on Earth, so he did a little recon and we think all those accidents... weren't accidents," the Autobot replied.

"So, is everyone back?" Raf asked, buckling himself in. His parents and siblings weren't home and wouldn't be for awhile. If it came to the worst, he could always call.

"No, not everyone," the car responded. "Ultra Magnus, Smokescreen, and Wheeljack stayed behind." He paused. "Optimus is... one with the Allspark now." He knew that Raf would know exactly what that meant. "Arcee and Bulkhead are here, and so are two Autobots you've never met. They were Optimus's third- and fourth-in-commands, Prowl and Jazz. I guess they're second and third, now..." He paused again. "We also brought Knockout, so Ratchet went back to Cybertron for now."

"Why'd you bring him?" the young human asked.

"Well, since he used to be a Con, he knows how they think. Magnus figured he'd be an advantage," Bumblebee informed his human friend.

"I see. We're heading back to base?"

"Yep."

-

Knockout sighed as he went through Ratchet's notes. Arcee had contacted Agent Fowler to inform him of the new situation, so he was on his way, as were the three children, but for now, he had nothing better to do. Might as well get caught up.

He had just gotten through the basics of human medicine when an Earth vehicle drove through the tunnel. He shuddered slightly at its run-down appearance. "You're a government lackey, couldn't you at least buy a better car?" he asked disdainfully when the agent in question stepped out of the car.

"Just because they trust you doesn't mean I _do_ , Con," Fowler warned.

"I do not recall saying anything about trusting him," Prowl spoke from behind him, causing the human to turn.

"So, you're Prowl, huh?" He glanced to the black and white Bot's left. "And that must be Jazz."

"Indeed," Prowl confirmed. "We are here to oversee operations in Ultra Magnus's stead."

"What about Prime?"

Prowl and Jazz looked at each other. Had Arcee not mentioned their former leader's fate? Knockout decided he should take the initiative.

"Optimus is gone," the ex-Con informed him. "Cybertron was still a dead planet, unable to produce new life. The only thing that could do that was the Allspark but we needed to keep it safe, so Optimus combined it with the Matrix of Leadership. In order to restore Cybertron, he had to fly straight into our planet's core."

"He gave his life ta save our planet," Jazz said. "Now Ultra Magnus is the actin' leader."

An awkward silence passed between all of them until a blue motorcycle sporting a teen rider flew through the tunnel. As soon as her rider got off, Arcee transformed.

"Hello, Jack," Knockout greeted.

Jack merely glared for a moment before remembering that it was a lot creepier when Airachnid said it. "Hey." He still hadn't forgiven the Aston Martin for kidnapping his mother.

Knockout watched him for a moment. "How is your mother, by the way?"

"Don't talk about my mother!" the teen growled, causing the sports car to raise his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright, just trying to be friendly..." he muttered, turning back to Ratchet's notes. "She _does_ know you're here, right?"

Jack wanted to smack himself. In the excitement of seeing Arcee again, he had completely forgotten to call his mom to let her know he wouldn't be home as soon as he thought. Pulling out his cell phone, he quickly dialed his mother. "Hey, Mo—"

_"Jackson Darby, where are you?"_

"Mom, relax," he said slowly, trying to calm his angry mother. Knockout wanted to snicker. "The Autobots are back."

_"Why?"_

"Apparently the Cons might be back," Jack informed her. "And they're not taking any chances."

_"Good. Can you get them to open a ground bridge for me? I'd like to come say hi, myself. It's definitely been different, not having Arcee in the garage."_

"Tell me about it." Jack smiled softly. "And I will." He covered the mouthpiece for a minute. "Arcee, can you open a ground bridge for my mom?"

Knockout rolled his optics. He was much closer to the controls, so he simply moved over to reach them. "Coordinates," he requested, and Arcee gave them. A brief moment later, June Darby's old car made it through the bridge. Knockout winced again. What was it with these humans and their sub-par automobiles?

"Arcee!" June said with a smile. "It's so good to see you again."

"You too, June," the bike replied. As soon as they words left her mouth, an SUV and a muscle car drove through the tunnel.

"Hey, Arcee!" Miko said, hopping out before Bulkhead transformed. She had already greeted Bumblebee on the way. Her gaze settled on Prowl and Jazz. "Cool, new Bots!" She whipped out her phone and took a snapshot of the two of them. "Perfect." Finally, she noticed Knockout. "What's up, Doc Knock?"

"Please don't call me that," he replied with an aggravated sigh.

"Someone mind explaining what _he's_ doing here?" June asked, pointing at the ex-Con. This time, all the Autobots sighed. They would have a _lot_ of catching up to do...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm going only by my small bit of knowledge of Predacons Rising. I did see a clip with Optimus's speech before diving into Primus's core, so that's how I know about that, but a lot of it is also guesswork. Anyway, I'll be back next time with more stuff for you to (hopefully) enjoy~

**Author's Note:**

> So... There you have it. Also, a warning, I will be including an original character later on (technically a bunch, but most are minor roles). This singular character, however, will play a very important role. So for those of you who don't like to see OCs, please don't let that drive you away. I promise I'll try to keep the plot engaging, even if this chapter was just an opening filler.


End file.
